Association and Causation Quiz

1

The daily attendance at a bowling alley was recorded for 15 days. The scatterplot shows the number of lanes rented each day and the number of people who bowled that day. Which statement is best supported by the scatterplot?

• There is a non-linear association between the number of lanes rented and the number of people who bowl.

• There is a positive linear association between the number of lanes rented and the number of people who bowl.

• There is no apparent association between the number of lanes rented and the number of people who bowl.

• There is a negative linear association between the number of lanes rented and the number of people who bowl.

2

Which situation best represents association but NOT causation?

• When the number of spectators at a football game increases, the number of wins for the home team increases.

• When more gallons of water are put into an aquarium, the weight of the aquarium increases.

• When the amount of time an athlete runs increases, the distance she runs increases.

• When the charge of a cell phone battery increases, the number of minutes the phone can be used increases.

3

The table shows the number of species added to the United States endangered species list each year for several years. Which correlation best describes the strength of the linear association between the number of species added to the list and the year?

• Strong negative correlation, because r ≈ -0.91

• Strong negative correlation, because r ≈ -0.09

• Weak negative correlation, because r ≈ -0.91

• Weak negative correlation, because r ≈ -0.09

4 Part A

Mr. Green concluded the greater the height, the longer the rectangle will be. Is this a valid conclusion?

• No, the correlation is not strong because the correlation coefficient is less than 0.8.

• Yes, the correlation is positive.

• No, the correlation is strong because the correlation coefficient is greater than 0.8.

• Yes, the correlation is strong because the correlation coefficient is less than 0.8.

4 Part B

What is the correlation coefficient for the table of heights and lengths of rectangles? Round to the nearest hundredth.

5 Part A

Which scatterplot could support the teacher's observation that as study time increases, the number of errors decreases?

• A. Scatterplot A

• B. Scatterplot B

• C. Scatterplot C

• D. Scatterplot D

5 Part B

What type of association is observed between study time and number of errors?

(a)  

• Positive Linear
• Negative Linear
• Nonlinear

5 Part 2B

What is the relationship between study time and number of errors in terms of causation?

• A. Causation

• B. No causation